Fuente de la Diosa Pomona by Juan Bautista Bado, 1864
Plaza de San Francisco
Málaga, March 2025
“The Plaza de San Francisco emerged in the mid-19th century as a result of the urban reforms brought about by the Mendizábal confiscation. The disappearance of the Franciscan convent of San Luis el Real allowed its square to become a public square. Several cultural institutions, such as the Lyceum and the Philharmonic Society, were built in parts of the former monastery, giving the square a cultured and romantic atmosphere as a meeting place for writers, musicians, and artists. It was precisely at this time that a classically inspired fountain was installed in the center of the square's triangular space, crowned by a sculpture of the Etruscan-Roman goddess Pomona, protector of flowers and fruits. This fountain, initially acquired for installation at Porta Nuova, was made of Carrara marble by the sculptor Juan Bautista Bado in the Italian city of Savona. The fountain's pillar rises from a circular marble basin, with a pedestal-like column shaft bearing the date of its execution (1864). The upper half of this shaft is fluted, while the lower half is decorated with four masks (from whose mouths water flows), connected by garlands. The goddess appears dressed in Roman style, wrapped in heavy draperies, and carries a basket of flowers and fruit in her left hand, symbolizing her protection of fruit trees.” (Fountain of the Goddess Pomona, Fuentes de Málaga)
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